Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen doesn’t care what people think about his 2023 season.

After making the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2022, and tying for the NFL lead with six interceptions, Woolen took a step back production-wise last season. He dealt with a shoulder injury that seemingly hindered his physicality, and he was benched twice — once because of health and another time due to performance.

Woolen, when speaking to the reporters after practice on Friday, didn’t shy away from evaluating his season. He said he still had fun, and it was just another step in his career.

“I’ve been through ups and downs. I’ve been to the Pro Bowl, I’ve been on the bench before,” Woolen said. “It was just all part of the journey to me. I felt like as a young player I had to go through that just because it shows me that there’s some places that I don’t want to be and there’s places where I do want to be. That’s being a Pro Bowler, that’s to help my team get to the Super Bowl and just be a great player.”

Woolen finished last season with 10 fewer tackles (53), four fewer interceptions (2) and five fewer pass deflections (11) than he did as a rookie. He surrendered fewer receiving yards and yards per reception by a large margin but allowed a 62.1 percent completion percentage, per Pro Football Focus — about seven points higher than in 2022.

As the former Pro Bowler said himself, there were ups and downs.

“Honestly, I just felt like last year was a great year for me,” Woolen added. “To some people, they may have their own opinions but those [are] the same people that’s not playing the game. So, it’s okay with me. I feel great and I feel like this year will be even better.”

Entering this season, Woolen said he is trying to focus on learning the new scheme and adapting to the new system, coaches and teammates in general. In terms of improvement, Woolen said he emphasized getting stronger over the offseason.

Early in training camp, Woolen has already been battling with wide receiver DK Metcalf, with Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald calling the competition “iron sharpening iron.”

“With my reps and everything at camp, it has been showing that I put the work in … I do have faith in myself to continue to build off of it,” Woolen said.

Whether criticism of Woolen’s tackling ability is warranted or not, he has remained a plus starter in coverage. That’s already a strength of Woolen’s, and he believes he’s becoming a more complete cover corner heading into his third season.

Woolen wants to get better in off coverage (lining up off the line of scrimmage, instead of in press coverage), and that’s been a point of focus for him in camp, he said.

“I know that I’m a great press corner, but it’s a difference when you can play all two and you can change the game up,” Woolen said. “That’s something I feel like I got better at. Even at practice each day, I’ve been working on it. And certain days, I’ve been doing some days where I’m off and some days where I’m pressed up.”

For the first time in his NFL career, Woolen is also traveling in practice. Former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll always had his corners remain on the left or right side of the field. Macdonald, at least in practice, is switching that up.

Allowing corners to travel will benefit the disguised coverages in Macdonald’s scheme. Also, if they can play in different spots, you can match your best corner against the opposition’s top receiver on every down.

“When it comes down to it, it’s just football,” Woolen said. “Whenever you’re a great player like I am you’ve got to do certain things, and that’s one of the things I want to do. I want to play both sides. I want to travel. I want to do stuff like that. I don’t think it’s hard at all. I’m an athlete. I trust myself and I’m confident in what I do. So far, it’s been a breeze and I’m just getting better every day.”

Through nine training camp practices, Woolen is silencing any doubt that has carried over from the 2023 season. If he can put together all the tools he’s working to improve in camp, he could re-emerge as one of the top corners in the NFL in 2024.

More importantly, perhaps, he could be a key cog in Macdonald’s defense which looks to be one of the more innovative units in the league.

In less than two weeks, the Seattle Seahawks will head down to Nashville for joint practices with the Tennessee Titans ahead of their second preseason game. However, they won’t see one of Tennessee’s brightest stars on offense when they do so.

Earlier in the week, news broke that star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will miss four to six weeks with a knee strain, thus sidelining him for the game against Seattle on Aug. 17.

What may be more important than Hopkins missing the game itself, which he may not have played in even if he was healthy, is him missing joint practices on Aug. 14 and 15. Matching up against a three-time All-Pro wideout would have been valuable experience for Seattle’s young secondary, but sadly, they won’t have that opportunity anymore.

Fortunately, the Titans added two more quality wideouts in Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, so at least the Seahawks’ secondary will get to face them (knock on wood).

Of course, the Seahawks saw more than enough of Hopkins when he was with the Arizona Cardinals from 2020-22. In six career games against Seattle, Hopkins has accounted for 461 yards and three touchdowns on 31 receptions. He had just two receptions for 20 yards in Seattle’s Christmas Eve road victory over Tennessee last season.

Hopkins isn’t the only star who won’t suit up against Seattle this preseason. The Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle’s first preseason opponent, already announced that quarterback Justin Herbert won’t play that game due to a foot injury.

SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners brought their offense home with them in the first of a nine-game homestead on Friday. They dominated the Philadelphia Phillies 10-2 to improve their record to 58-53 and stayed even with the Houston Astros in the American League West standings.

It was the most runs the Mariners have scored at home this season and the second time in seven games they’ve put up double-digits.

And Seattle dominated from the first pitch.

Mariners center fielder Victor Robles chose to have JP Crawford’s walk-off music as a way to shout out the injured shortstop. The music must have been a good motivator.

Robles hit a first-pitch solo home run to left field in the bottom of the first to put Seattle up 1-0.

“Victor Robles — what he’s done for our club — I think it seems like I’m talking about him every time postgame,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said in a postgame interview Friday. “But the quality at-bats, the energy he brings — and it starts from the first pitch he sees tonight. Gets us going on the right foot.”

Robles’ homer was just a warning shot. The real fireworks came one inning later.

Luke Raley hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the second that went 459 feet to the upper deck in right field and put the Mariners up 4-0. It was tied for the second longest home run in franchise history.

“(It felt like) nothing,” Raley said in a postgame interview Friday. “You know you got it going when you don’t really feel it. That was probably the best one I ever hit statistically. … I think what I’ve been fighting is my timing more than anything. And to get one like that to right field, you know you’re back on time.”

In the same inning, Justin Turner hit his first home run with Seattle — a two-out, 397-foot grand slam to left field that put the Mariners up 8-0.

“It was electric,” Turner said in a postgame interview Friday. “(The fans) were loud, they were in the game. Obviously offense kind of helps create atmosphere. But that was really fun to be a part of. … (This is) an easy group to mesh with.”

Josh Rojas grounded into a force out that brought another run in the bottom of the fourth.

Mitch Haniger hit the team’s fourth and final home run of the night with a solo shot to left center in the bottom of the seventh. That gave the Mariners their 10th and final run. It was the second time in seven games Seattle has hit four home runs and the third time in its last seven that it’s hit at least three.

Both of Philadelphia’s runs came in the top of the ninth when the game was all but decided.

Seattle starter Bryan Woo awarded his offense with a seven-inning shutout. He had six strikeouts and walked zero batters. It was his first quality start since June 6 and was the longest outing of his career.

The Mariners are now 5-2 since getting swept against the Los Angeles Angels and look to be re-energized despite injuries to key players like Crawford and Julio Rodriguez.

Seattle has eight more games in this homestead and look to be as ready for the stretch ahead as it has been all year.

Bryce Miller will get the start for the Mariners on Sunday at 6:40 p.m. PST.

MARINERS COMMENTS ON REUNION WITH RELIEVER: Seattle Manager Scott Servais commented before Friday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies about recent trade acquisition JT Chargois joining the team. CLICK HERE

MARINERS RELEASE PITCHING MATCHUPS: The Seattle Mariners released pitching plans ahead of nine-game homestead that begins on Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies. CLICK HERE

MARINERS GM PROVIDES INJURY UPDATE: Seattle Mariners General Manager Justin Hollander gave some injury updates on JP Crawford, Julio Rodriguez, Dominic Canzone and others ahead of Friday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies. CLICK HERE

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